Leaders told to hand over suspect

LEADERS from Porgera in Enga are urged to hand over a suspect who allegedly attacked a police officer on Feb 28 to police.
Provincial police commander Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop said people attacking police officers was wrong.
“Police officers are not your enemies. Why do you find it easy to get on them when they are sacrificing their time and life to protect you,” Tondop said.
He said the incident occurred at around 9pm at Paiyam where the victim was walking down towards the police barracks with four other officers from Palipaka Lodge.
The offender attacked the victim with a machete resulting in his right arm completely slashed off and two deep slashes across the head.
Four other officers rescued him and tried to capture the suspect but he escaped into the bush.
“I’m disappointment to hear that one of my officers was attacked in relation to an incident in 2015. This does not reflect the changes happening in Porgera and respect for the criminal justice system we have in the country.”
He said the perpetrator was mentally ill and had no respect for the rule of law and agents of justice and was a serious threat to the community.
“I take this opportunity to appeal to the known suspect through his leaders to surrender him to me maybe within 24 hours as of today, falling this I will launch a man hunt,” Tondop said.
He said leaders who knowingly hide a known suspect from police to be questioned in relation to the alleged crime, could also be taken in for questioning for hiding or abetting an offender.